


Passion, Yet Serenity

by TK_DuVeraun



Series: Legacies (SW:TOR) [6]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Original Character(s), Original Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-12-21 18:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11950275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TK_DuVeraun/pseuds/TK_DuVeraun
Summary: Frida is the only one of Sa'alle's daughters to make it to Tython, which puts her in the center of everything when things with her mother start to come to a head.---Unlike other parts of this series, you need to read the other parts to enjoy this one. My apologies.





	1. Lifeless

**Author's Note:**

> As said in the summary, please read the other parts of this series. This story is bringing the different groups together and while it has its own new characters, this story isn't really about them.

“My new student will be joining us today, Frida. I hope you don’t mind,” says Jedi Master Reynard. His auburn hair is just starting to grey at the temples and his blue eyes are kind, if serious.

“I don’t mind,” Frida replies. For once, it’s the truth and it almost surprises her. With her blood-red hair and distinctive scarring, Frida’s  _ constantly _ asked if she’s bothered by things. Thirteen years on Tython aren’t enough to convince the other Jedi she’s not one wrong word away from slitting throats and throwing lightning. So no matter how she really feels about the issue at hand, she always replies that she’s unbothered. She doesn’t know how many years she lived with That Woman, but it was more than long enough to teach her to control any outward expression of emotion.

“I’ve told him about Sevenee, but he may still ask.” Master Reynard nods to the round droid hovering over her shoulder. 7E-08 speaks for her, controlled by a chip in her head, though it has some measure of autonomy.

Frida examines her master’s face and sighs in the quiet of her mind. Though Reynard rarely walks on the same eggshells as the other Jedi, his genuine concern for her feelings sometimes leads to the same result. Frida quickly repeats her previous statement in sign language.

“I’m sorry. I’d ask the same of anyone I was inconveniencing.” Reynard gives her a sad smile. “I believe you and trust you will speak up if there is an issue.” He knows she hates the unasked question and knows her too well to believe her every time she says it’s fine. The difference in him, the reason she respects him, is that he trusts anything she says with her hands and lets the matter drop.

“If he is one of Darth Rencarn’s experiments, he’s been through a great deal.”

Reynard gives her genuine smile there. “If you take his word for it, his trip here to Tython was the most trying part. He doesn’t remember what Rencarn did to him as an infant, but he remembers sitting through days of cleansing and healing rituals.”

“He’s a Green Jedi. We shouldn’t be surprised he finds Tython boring,” Frida says. Her intonation is limited by Sevenee’s programming, so she adds an obvious twist to her mouth.

A stranger, presumably the student, enters the office. “I didn’t say  _ boring _ , I said  _ lifeless _ ,” he says. He nods politely to Reynard. “Master.”

“Right on schedule. Frida, this is Raphael Gallias.”

“Raf, please.”

“Raphael, this is my other student, Frida.”

“A pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s mutual,” Raf says before taking a seat next to Frida. He’s tall and looks young for a human. His hair and eyes are both brown and his features are so perfectly  _ ordinary _ he’s memorable simply for being so plain.

“I know you were told this would be complete retraining, but I believe that to be unnecessary.”

“Oh thank the  _ Force _ .” Raf all but collapses on the desk in relief.

Master Reynard chuckles. “I’ve always found my orders from the Council need to be modified to fit specific circumstances. They’re not omniscient, after all.”

“I was  _ not _ looking forward to retaking my Trials.”

“Certainly not. You can pass those by specializing. I received your previous master’s notes. You lack basic competency in mental arts.”

Frida keeps a straight face, but Sevenee bobs and chitters with her amusement as Raf pales and covers his face.

\---

“Another question, Raphael,” Master Reynard instructs. He’s seated cross-legged on top of a boulder he’s levitating with the Force with no visible effort.

Frida strongly suspects he’s just doing it to show off, which she’s been told isn’t strictly Jedi, but since he ignores what other masters see as her own failings, she doesn’t comment. She’s sitting on a thick blanket playing dejarik against Sevenee’s AI.

“Can’t you just ask  _ me _ questions?” Raf asks, his voice strained as he holds a small wire through the center of five rings.

“In your current state, asking questions is more difficult. Another.” Master Reynard sips a cup of tea and glances over at Frida.

Frida signs,  _ He can’t see you, why bother? _

_ You can never stop practicing _ , Reynard replies, though his sign language is ironically unpracticed.

“Uhh…” Raf flinches as the wire dips and sets off the buzzer attached to the rings. “Do you have any Attachments?”

“I’m attached to my students, but that’s all.”

“No one ever caught your eye? No mini, sadistic, thinks-they’re-cleverer-than-they-are Jedi Reynards running around?”

“I believe Frida is well on her way there, sadly I can’t claim biological responsibility. I may have had some before I joined the Jedi, but unfortunately, those memories are beyond me.”

“Are you  _ sure _ telekinesis counts as a mental art? I thought that was supposed to be, uh, mind tricks and… mind tricks?” Raf raises his hands trying to regain control as the wire wobbles in the air.

“I am quite sure that you’re equally terrible at it and the consequences of mistakes are minimal.” Master Reynard slowly lowers the rock to the ground and gracefully rises to his feet in a single motion. He gestures for Frida to pack up her things and stands near Raf.

Frida uses the chip in her head to tell Sevenee to save the game for later. She waves her hands and the blanket shakes itself off before folding neatly in the air. She pulls it against her chest and waits for Raf to realize his training for the day is done.

After five minutes of silence, Raf loses all control and the wire falls onto the grass. He slumps back as the buzzer rings. And  _ then _ notices his master and fellow student waiting expectantly. He rubs the back of his neck. “Er, we’re leaving?”

“Only five minutes this time, Raf. You might actually have better spacial awareness.”

“Or perhaps, so little stamina you simply failed sooner than before,” Reynard says without even a hint of a smile on his face.

“Is it too late to retake my Trials? Get a new master?”

“Unfortunately, Frida and I are quite stuck with you.”

\---

“So Frida…”

“Yes Raf?” Frida doesn’t look up from her datapad. She’s outside, sitting under a tree reading quietly. Or she was until Raf walked up and stared at her for ten minutes without saying anything.

“How off-limits is the village?”

“For you? Completely.”

Raf makes a noise like a wounded animal and tugs on the sleeves of his robe. “What do you mean  _ for me _ ?”

After a pointed pause, Frida lowers her datapad and looks up at him. “There aren’t any prostitutes, anyway.”

Raf opens his mouth, but probably decides at the last minute not to bother trying to lie. “There aren’t?”

“It’s a  _ village _ .”

“I know what villages are.”

With an eyeroll, Frida drops the emotionless act. “A village on Corellia is a subsection of the city. A village on most other worlds is a very small collection of a few families and maybe a shop or two.”

Raf looks at her, his face a mixture of despair and horror. His posture slumps and he sits next to her. “What am I supposed to do, then? Back home we had, you know, times we’d get together and pair off for a little attachment-free physical gratification.”

Frida frowns and quirks an eyebrow at him. “Really? I thought it was just that you could have families.”

“There’re a few differences from the Order at large, but this really isn’t helping my problem.”

“I don’t know what you think I can do about it.”

“Well, if I can’t go to the village…”

“No.”


	2. Importance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raf makes bad choices.

“Frida?”

“Still no.”

\--

“Is Sa’alle as bad as everyone says?”

Frida looks around, but while the library is far from empty, there’s no one nearby. “I don’t know what everyone says.”

Raf glances around as well before leaning in. “She kidnaps men and uses them to make children and then sacrifices the children to power her rituals.”

After a moment of thought, Frida shrugs and goes back to the holocron she was studying. “About that  _ bad _ , as it were. She doesn’t waste us for rituals, at least, not while I was there. She’s trying to make the perfect heir. Or she  _ was _ .”

“But  _ why _ ?”

“She’s insane? She’s Sith? I don’t know. She didn’t tell me her plans between torture sessions.” 

Raf flinches next to her and she can feel his eyes on her scarred mouth and throat and knows when he turns to stare at Sevenee. “Sorry.”

“Ask unpleasant questions and you’ll get unpleasant answers.”

Raf squeezes her arm. “Do you want me to go with you to see your sisters?”

“What?” Frida looks up from the holocron. “I’m not going to see them. The only ones I remember are Xalonie and Sailens and they’re both dead.”

“ _ Kriff _ . I’m sorry. I’m terrible at this.” He squeezes her arm again and looks pitifully contrite. Kind of like a kicked akk pup that doesn’t know what it did wrong.

“Aside from direct combat, you’re terrible at most things.” She pokes him in the shoulder. She’s seen other Jedi do that playfully and hopes he takes it to mean she’s not upset.

“I don’t know why everyone says you’re so nice.”

“I don’t know why everyone thinks Green Jedi are more empathetic.”

“If you’d like to find out-”

“No.”

\---

Frida steps evenly into Master Reynard’s private quarters. Her face doesn't reflect her confusion, but Sevenee dodges erratically through the air in response to her feelings. She can't remember the last time she was there. 

“Ah, Frida, thank you for coming. Please sit.” He gestures to a fat cushion next to him at a low table. The lines on Reynard’s face are deeper than usual and his mouth is set in a serious line. He pours them both a cup of tea. 

After a single moment of hesitation, Frida takes the offered seat and places her hands around the mug. To better control her emotions, she focuses on using the Force to keep from burning her hands on the scalding ceramic. 

“You're not in trouble. I finally finished going through the report on Rencarn.”

_ But the Soldiers neutralized him weeks ago, _ Frida signs. 

“You're correct. I was sent a secondary, more complete, report due to the fact that I'm Raphael’s and your master.”

_ Me? Because Sa’alle worked with him?  _

“Because they rescued Avarice.”

Her teacup shatters. “I see.” Her hands shake as she waves the ceramic shards into the bin. 

“Master Ster left a note for me saying she… She has been severed from the Force and is… damaged. She doesn't want to see you.” The master watches her carefully, but with genuine concern, not fear that she'll start throwing lightning around. 

“I see.” Frida looks at her master but doesn't see him. Her hands keep trembling until she shoves them in her lap. 

“Your schedule is optional for the next week. All I require from you is a message with your location if you leave the temple complex.”

“Yes, master.”

\---

“Raf?”

“What?”

“Yes.”

“What? Oh.  _ Oh _ .”

\---

Reynard preemptively rubs his temples when Raphael enters his office. 

The young man looks on the verge of a mental breakdown. His hair sticks out in ten directions and he’s nearly torn the hem off of his sleeves. He can’t even stand still. He shifts his weight from foot to foot, somewhat rocking in place and his eyes keep dashing around the office.

“Please, Raf, sit,” Reynard tries, hoping the nickname will settle the boy.

_ Rip _ .

No such luck.

Reynard waits for his student to explain the problem, but when nothing is immediately forthcoming, he pulls out a datapad to pretend to read through while the boy collects himself. An hour passes before Reynard finally sighs and sets down the datapad. “Raf, what’s wrong?”

Raphael pulls at his already shredded hem and stares anywhere but at his master. He looks a little green. When he speaks, it’s pushed out in a single breath. “I had sex with Frida.”

_ Oh dear _ . “Did she hurt you?”

Thankfully, the boy’s confusion overpowers whatever actually  _ is _ bothering him for a moment and he looks a little better. “What? No. I won’t, uh, give you any details, but definitely no.”

Reynard rubs his temples again when Raphael still refuses to elaborate. “Raf,  _ what’s wrong _ ?”

He goes back to looking at his ruined sleeve and picking at the frayed threads. His face then turns red.

_ Poor boy is going up like a Life Day tree. _

Eventually, Raphael clears his throat. “Well, uh, after, I, you know… Well, maybe you don’t, anyway, I, uh, tried to talk to her and she wouldn’t respond. So I got worried. Then she started crying. Silent, not moving, just crying. For  _ hours _ . And then I woke up this morning and I can’t find her anywhere.”

_ Thank the Force for small favors. Though, really, if this isn’t a perfect example of why relationships aren’t usually allowed, I don’t know what is _ . Reynard, now assured that nothing is terribly wrong, gets up and makes a pot of tea. He doubts he used the tea-making ritual before joining the Jedi, but it settles his mind regardless. When it is steeping, he brought the tea service back to his desk and pours cups for both of them. “She’s fine. I received a message from her an hour ago.”

“Master, I don’t think you understand the kind of crying I’m talking about.” Raphael’s hands tightened and clenched around his cup.

“Raf, she was physically and psychologically tortured for at least ten years before she was kidnapped by a different Sith and abandoned at the Jedi enclave on Uphrades  _ after  _ being told she wasn’t worth saving. I don’t think  _ you _ understood what you were getting into when you kept asking her into your bed.” Reynard watches as his monologue has its intended effect.

Raphael abandons his tea and lunges out of his chair. Thankfully, he makes it all of the way to the bin before he starts vomiting and sobbing.

The Jedi Master watches impassively as the weight of reality seems to settle over the Green Jedi for the first time. When the boy looks about done, he prepares a new pot of tea and replaces Raphael’s original cup.

“Now then, Frida received some particularly unsettling news yesterday. When she comes back from her time to herself, I advise you to treat her normally unless she requests otherwise. I have been attempting to teach her better coping methods, as her current strategy of avoidance results in these episodes, but her recovery will be life-long.”

Raphael nurses his tea. “I really kriffed it up, didn’t I?”

“Don’t overestimate your importance. She’s no worse off having kriffed you than if she hadn’t. And if you don’t want to lose her respect, I also advise that you not prostrate yourself begging for forgiveness when you did nothing wrong.”

“So, uh, where do I sign up for the whole ‘no-attachments’ thing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finished writing Part 7 of the series and it is going to be the final part.


	3. Transport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raf has a lot of feelings and learns that there's a lot more rule bending going on than he thought.

What started as a casual pursuit--she was his friend, she was there, he was alone on Tython--changes for Raf after Frida’s breakdown. There is no pretending now, no ignoring the way thinking she was hurt had tugged at his heart. 

He knows, objectively that Master Reynard is right. It hadn’t actually been  _ his fault _ or anything. Those fits just come over her. But knowing it and stopping himself from feeling it are very different things. The last thing he wants to do was hurt her. 

This is no mere sexual liaison. He’d had those during his time on Corellia. He is attracted to her, but this is something new. Something more than that. So much that if they’d both been Greens, he might--well, it’s a little early for that. 

It was a struggle to pretend like nothing had happened when she returned, but he did his best, as Reynard had ordered. At least if it happened again, he’d be by her side in time to get her help. 

He focuses on his training, knowing he can’t let this distract him from improving himself. He’d be a poor Jedi in that case. But she  _ is  _ Reynard’s student, often there to help in any case. And whenever he has time off, he finds a way to spend it with her. This usually means sitting next to her in the library while she researches or loitering around Master Reynard’s private rooms while she plays dejarik against her speaking droid.

“So, do, uh, all of your sisters know sign language? I see you doing it with Master Reynard sometimes.” Raf scrubs his hair with one hand. He knows it’s an obvious nervous gesture, but there’s no point in hiding it.

“Before I was taken, it was just Avarice and me.  _ That Woman _ watched them more carefully and they didn’t want to lose their hands.” She frowns at the dejarik board and finally moves her piece.

“Were you the favorites?” Raf looks at the board, but it may as well be an ancient rakata text for all he understands it. His original master never managed to get him to even basic proficiency.  _ No wonder he wasn’t offended when the Council asked Master Reynard to take me on… _

“Far from it. We’re not viable heirs. There’s some kind of Force marker attached to the-” She gestures to her forehead and eyes. “We don’t have it, so we may as well have been slaves. I believe she used us instead of killing us because it upset the others.”

“I know she doesn’t, but do  _ you _ want to see Avarice?”

Frida remains silent for a while, but since she makes her move against Sevenee, it’s obvious she’s not thinking strategy. Eventually, she says, “Yes. She was everything to me before I was taken. And Master says she has a daughter now. That would be nice to see.”

“Well… maybe she’ll come around…” It sounds uninspired, even to Raf. 

“The Council is discussing whether or not to allow the Soldiers of Kyrsha to attack That Woman. Master will insist on participating, if they do, so she might not have a choice.”

“Really? I hear no Sith has escaped when they set their sights on one,” Raf says. “That’s… well, that’d be good, right? Take care of Sa’alle finally?” 

“I… She can’t hurt me here. I don’t want revenge… If the report is right, she’s not making more daughters. The effort might be better spent elsewhere.” She grimaces, but Sevenee also just played the winning move, so Raf doesn’t really take it to heart.

“Someone like her… She might not be making more daughters but she probably has some other horrible plot going on.” 

“But when she spent so many years on the girls, her plan might not be as dangerous as another Sith’s.”

Raf nods. “Good point. Well, it’s not really up to us, so I guess that’s for the Masters and the Council to figure out.” 

“Would you come, if we did?” Frida looks him in the eye, but her face is emotionless.

“Well… I’m a good fighter, but I don’t know if I’m ready. But I’d want to. If I could.” 

She just nods at him and starts up a new game against her droid.

\---

Raf wakes up early enough that there’s not even misty predawn light coming from his window. He wraps his arm around Frida’s waist and nuzzles the back of her neck. He’s not used to her spending the night, she’s clearly not invested in their relationship, but he’ll take advantage of it when she does. Sevenee starts rolling on the floor, which tells him she’s woken up. “Sorry, Fri.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. Do you think the Force woke us?”

“Yes.” She pulls the sheets up around her neck and presses her face into the pillow. “I’d rather go back to sleep.”

“Should we… get up?”

“Yes.” However, despite her words, she grabs his hand to keep him from moving.

From the floor, Sevenee speaks with the male voice it uses for itself. “Master Reynard has sent a message.”

When Frida remains silent, Raf sighs and takes the initiative. “What does it say?”

“In summary,” Frida adds, even as she pulls the blanket over her head.

“You are both going off world for an indefinite period of time. Lift off is thirty minutes.”

With a curse, Raf releases Frida and throws off his blankets. He rushes around the room in the dark, opening drawers and throwing everything he wants to take into his bag. When his bag is half-full and she still hasn’t moved, he pauses. “Do you… want me to pack anything for you?”

“I live out of my travel bag.”

When they have only five minutes left - Sevenee unhelpfully counting down - Frida rolls out of Raf’s bed, still wrapped in his blankets, and just shuffles off to her room.

Yawning and with his bag only half-closed from being over-stuffed, Raf boards Master Reynard’s ship. He looks around and finds Frida asleep, still wrapped in his blankets, possibly still even undressed, on the couch in the main room. He blinks at her a few times, somewhat unable to believe it, before joining their master in the cockpit.

“Why are we leaving at this hour?” Raf yawns again and rubs his eyes.

“I have some measure of Force intuition. The Council tends to be somewhat out of sight out of mind… And I would rather they not see Frida and think to prohibit me from assisting the Soldiers.” Reynard smiles and instead of calm apathy Raf is used to seeing, his master looks decidedly falsely innocent.

“So they’re going to make the decision today?”

“I believe so. And they will decide in favor of neutralizing Sa’alle, but it’s unlikely they’ll provide much support.”

“...You’re not as stiff as I thought.”

“I consider myself highly effective.”

  
  
  



	4. Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frida meets her sister again for the first time in ten years. Sort of.

The Soldiers of Kyrsha made their base in middle of Taris’s toxic swamps for a reason that escaped any logic Frida could apply. At least the musty, acidic smell didn’t permeate the rec room Master Reynard had left her and Raf in. Despite her complete apathy towards dressing before boarding the ship, she’s now dressed in combat robes. 

She leans back further into the couch and looks at Raf. “I thought you were going to tour the combat facilities.”

Raf’s cheeks pink a little and he rubs the back of his neck. “I wanted to see your niece. I’ve got a few niblings back home and I haven’t seen them in months.”

“You never told me you had siblings.”

“Well, er, I knew siblings were kind of… a thing with you, you know?”

“Oh. That’s very considerate of you.” She gives him as genuine of a smile as she can. Sevenee chirps its own agreement and rolls along the back of the couch.

Raf puts his hand on her cheek and is leaning in for a kiss when the door opens and he jumps away as if bitten by a rakling.

Master Yollan Ster laughs when he sees them. “Relax, kid. I actually read the briefings. I know you’re a Green.”

“Erm, thanks. Sorry. Habit.” Raf rubs the back of his neck again and still seems to sink into the cushions, despite what the master said. He perks up a second later, though, because he sees the baby in the man’s arm. “Oh! Is that her?”

“Yes, this is Liran.” Carefully, Master Ster handed the little girl to Frida.

Frida’s face has a look of deep concentration as she settles the baby against her. When she glances back at Master Ster, she see he is signing at her.

_ Av is still… You can guess. But she’s going to spy from the door behind you. So don’t get anxious when you feel someone there. _ He pauses and eyes Raf.  _ He can’t understand sign, can he? _

Frida signs a one-handed  _ no _ before saying. “She’s beautiful. Her father is an Echani, right?”

“He’s racially echani, but he grew up on Alderaan. He’s going to stop by once his training is done for today.” Master Ster uses small movements, presumably so Avarice can’t see from her vantage point.  _ Keep him from doing anything stupid, then. _

“We’ll be expecting him, then.”  _ I can only try. _

Raf, blissfully unaware of the sign language, coos over the baby. 

The master nods before leaving through the same door he entered.

“I think you know more about babies than I do. Is she so very pale? I don’t know how much I expected her to look echani.” Frida keeps needing to pull the little girl’s hands away from her attempts to scratch her own face.

“Compared to a human baby? I could tell right away.” He tickles the little girl’s belly. “And the scratching is normal. That’s why a lot of parents swaddle their babies when they’re not actively holding them.”

Frida feels the moment her twin steps up to the door. Avarice doesn’t feel like she remembers, but the years and losing her Force explain it easily. “Swaddle? Is that wrapping it up in a blanket? With the arms pinned?” Frida puts her free hand on Raf’s arm when her sister cracks the door open.

“Yeah. My sister’s first was really bad about it. I learned quickly.” Raf does his best to look and act like everything was the same as before, but tenses slightly at her touch. 

“I helped in the nursery on Tython a few times, but that’s the only experience I have.” Frida gathers her Force and then projects a short blast of  _ calm _ at Raf, even though his Empathy is weak.

“Well, it’s like anything. Enough practice and experience and it’s second nature. Changing them never really gets any less smelly though…” 

“You can say that again,” says the echani man as he enters the room. “Hi, I’m Castel. You must Fervor and Raf. You should go Wrath, that’d be awesome.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for when I fall to the Dark Side,” Raf said, nodding at the echani. “Your kid’s really cute. Good work.” 

“Thanks, Av did all of the work, though. I just make sure she can get enough sleep at night. Oh,  _ oh _ I did name her.” He smiles wide. “Av just assumed I would pick something better than her and I just assumed she’d want to name the baby she carried for months and months, so Liran didn’t even  _ have _ a name for about two weeks and I thought Av’d told me and I forgot, so I was too embarrassed to say anything.”

Frida blinks at Castel, trying to take it all in. “That… Well… It’s something, I suppose.”

Raf blinks too. “You’re… uh… not what I expected.” 

“Very… chipper,” Frida says and it’s only thanks to Sevenee’s programming that it doesn’t sound as negative as she probably means it to be.

Castel just laughs and takes Liran from Frida. “Av and I aren’t a classic pair by any means, but we’re okay with that. We might go our separate ways after we’re done with Sa’alle, but I know she’ll always be there for me and Liran.”

“You think she’ll leave? And you’re just okay with that?” Raf asks, clearly taken aback.

“Yeah? Isn’t that what Jedi are supposed to do? Not that I plan on taking vows or anything. If she doesn’t want to be part of the Soldiers or to be in a romantic relationship with me, I  _ trust _ that’s the right decision.” Castel pulls his daughter up and kisses her forehead.

“I’m glad you two have each other. I wish we could have stayed together, but despite what That Woman did to her, she has you and Liran.”

“Are you coming along on this raid against, uh, Her?” Raf stumbles over the last word, clearly about to say Sa’alle’s name and changing his mind halfway through. 

“That’s the plan. The masters are going to discuss strategy tonight once the last… Uh, I don’t know what word to use. Faction leader? Arrives. There’s going to be plenty of work in the Sa’alle estate, but it’s in Imperial space, so we’re a little limited in how many people we can smuggle in.” Castel shrugs and then starts rocking Liran.

Raf nods. “I’m sure Master Reynard will tell us what’s discussed and what we’re going to do.” 

Frida huffs a laugh with her body instead of having it go through Sevenee. “Even if Master Ultin says we’re not allowed, he’ll drag us along. He thinks we need closure.”

“Master Ster told me he has a habit of doing what  _ he _ thinks is best regardless of what anyone else says,” Castel says. “Apparently he ignored the evacuation orders during the Sacking and went into the underlevels to help people.”

“ _ That  _ doesn’t surprise me. He wouldn’t sit in safety when people were in danger,” Raf says proudly. 

Castel nods. “Master Ster is the same way, though a little better at following the rules.”

“They  _ are _ friends. Master Ster is the one who originally encouraged him to take me on,” Frida says. “It’s nice to see him again.”

“I’m going to take Liran back to the nursery. Try not to worry about Av, she’ll come around.”

Raf nods, but doesn’t say anything, just looking at Frida. 

“I appreciate the sentiment. I’m sure we’ll see you later.”

 


	5. Coincidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of the faction leaders gather together.

The command room is nearly full of people crowded around a circular table. Masters Ultin and Killian sit silently next to each other with Yollan standing just behind them. The Soldiers’ military commander, a hawk-nose Zabrak named Ria Handel leans back in her chair to chat quietly with the lieutenant behind her. The woman from Klaver’s Kouriers, a captain named Dani, argues with the Republic squad captain on her left about the care and feeding of veractyls.

Reynard frowns at his notes and occasionally looks across the table at the only empty chair. He has mixed feelings about the missing Mandalorian. The information he found when he researched her clan is worrisome, but some part of him that  _ isn’t _ Force intuition wants to trust her implicitly, sight unseen.

When the chrono in the center of the table goes off, the room falls to silence. There’s still no sign of the Mandalorian, but Master Ultin stands regardless. “Thank you all for coming. The Hound apologizes for her delay, but Port Authority didn’t want to let her in. Does anyone have business we can discuss in the interim?”

Reynard stands and send the information from his datapad onto the screens in the center of the table. “It’s somewhat fortuitous the Hound has yet to arrive. As you can see, she worked for Sith during the last war, which is expected, given Mandalore’s agreement with the Empire. However, Clan Meshurok was held on retainer for two years by one Lord Faximil, also known as Sybil Sa’alle’s brother.”

The murmuring starts and people around the table check their own information.

Yollan steps up to the table and rubs his left wrist. “Be that as it may, he died in the war and Hound has a reason in her clan to fight Sa’alle. Nothing is more important to a Mandalorian. Certainly not a  _ Sith _ that died twenty-five years ago.”

Master Ultin runs her fingers along the bottom of her mask. “Disappeared isn’t the same as died.”

Captain Dani shakes her head and pushes slightly back from the table. “Faximil’s dead and what’s more, Sybil killed him. You’re right to think Hound would side with him, but that just gives her another reason to fight Sa’alle with us.”

Master Ultin shakes her head. “With all due respect, Captain, the evidence doesn’t support that. Sybil launched a series of fierce attacks against the Jedi in retaliation for killing her brother, but  _ we _ have no reports of having neutralized him ourselves.”

The captain tugs on her black ponytail and shakes her head. “Sith  _ lie _ -” She’s interrupted when the door opens and one of the Soldiers lets the Mandalorian in question into the room.

Something clenches in Reynard’s chest when he sees her. It’s what he felt when he read her dossier, but even stronger with her presence so close. He can feel her in the Force the way he feels no other Force blind and he’s drawn to her so strongly it’s almost painful to stay standing still.

Across the room, he can see her struggling with seemingly the same thing. Her eyes are fixed on him and she’s standing perfectly still and silent despite the obvious tension in the air and the accusing stares from everyone in the room.

Yollan clears his throat. “Hound, thank you for coming, but there’s an issue of some concern that we must address first. Do you know what happened to Lord Faximil?”

Hound finally drags her eyes away from Reynard to stare at Yollan for moment before she bursts out laughing. Everyone else is stunned into silence as she alternates between laughter and sobs.

When she’s reduced to wet huffs and wiping at her eyes, Reynard asks, “Do you know where he is?”

With somewhat wooden movements, the Mandalorian walks around the room until she’s standing right in front of Reynard. Her green eyes are still full of tears and her face can’t settle on an expression. She puts her hand on his shoulder and when she speaks it’s in  _ mando’a _ . “ _ Apart, we are one, beloved. No matter what kept you from me _ .”

Reynard’s breath catches in his chest. He’d known, academically, that he knew  _ mando’a _ , though he didn’t remember how he learned it. To hear it for the first time in such a way, with such  _ words _ … He answers her in the same language without thinking about what he'll say. “ _ My head doesn’t remember you, but my heart does _ .”

“Rey? What’s going on?” Yollan asks.

Reynard doesn’t respond immediately. He pulls the Mandalorian close and she clutches at his robes as she cries into his shoulder. Feeling overwhelmed, he looks at his friend. “I think  _ I _ might be Faximil.”

Reynard can’t even hear the uproar of questions and exclamations. His attention is on the woman in his arms and the implications of her revelation. It explained the connection he felt on meeting Frida,  _ his niece _ . It explained his lack of interest in women and its sudden disappearance, if in his heart he was already married. It explained why he’d been kept so isolated when he first lost his memory and why the Council, at the time, hadn’t let him travel anywhere or take any padawans.

A sharp whistle silences the room and everyone’s attention shifts to Captain Dani. She has her comm unit out and on it is the holo of a pilot. She holds it out to Reynard and the holo starts cursing.

“I can’t believe it! That’s Fox! How did nobody notice this in twenty-five karking years? It’s just a beard!”

“I’m assuming that’s by design. Thank you, dear, I need to deal with this now.”

“Don’t hang up on-”

She ends the call and puts away her comm unit. “Well then, I believe that settles the matter. Your master Reynard is, in fact, Sith Lord Faximil.”

Master Ultin stands. “I believe we need to adjourn for now. Tia and I will look into Reynard’s background and see if we can uncover the truth behind this… extraordinary situation. We’ll reconvene tomorrow afternoon to discuss the matter of Sa’alle. While this is undoubtedly a complication, we can’t afford to be sidetracked.” She claps her hands and the room returns to motion.

Reynard stays where he is while the others leave. He sees Yollan sign that they should talk soon, but can’t respond with anything more than a nod. He doesn’t know what this means, other than that the Jedi Order lied to him about his past, but he had long suspected that was the case. He simply never cared because he  _ enjoyed _ teaching and helping Frida was fulfilling.

All he knew was that he wasn’t going to be separated from this woman. Assuming she’d even let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops!
> 
> Also, a short reminder that the literal translation of "I love you" in _mando'a_ is roughly "I know you in my heart eternally/intrinsically."


	6. Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frida is suspicious, but not nearly as much as she thinks she should be.

Late the next morning, Frida knocks on her master’s door. She’d expected a report about the meeting and at the very least an interrogation about meeting her niece, but she’d heard nothing. So she knocks and waits outside his door while Raf is off giving Castel baby advice or something. She blinks when the door opens because instead of Master Reynard, it’s a black-haired woman wearing only under armor.

“Av, right? What do you need?”

“My apologies. I’m not Av, I’m Frida and I seem to have the wrong room. I was looking for my master.”

The woman turns and shouts into the suite. “Oy, Fox, your student is here.”

Frida stares at the woman in confusion for a moment before the thought hits her. “You knew him  _ before _ !”

“She did,” Master Reynard says as he comes to the door. He nuzzles the woman in a casually affectionate gesture that just looks  _ wrong _ coming from her master. “Come in, Frida. Hound provided more than a few revelations.”

Frida’s instincts tell her she should be wary and skeptical of this stranger who supposedly has answers to all of the questions Master Reynard never asked, but as bizarre as the affection was - and as jarring as his shaved face is - she doesn’t feel anything in Force. So she steps into her master’s suite and takes a seat in a chair that looks far comfier than it is.

Despite the other changes, Master Reynard is still in his Jedi robes and he still goes through his normal ritual of preparing tea. He’s just bringing the service to the coffee table when the woman returns from the bedroom, now wearing a full set of Mandalorian armor with a large image of a fox engraved on the breastplate.

He presses a cup of tea into her hands before speaking. “Frida, this is Carina, ‘the Hound,’ leader of Clan Meshurok. She’s also my wife.  _ Cyare _ , this is Frida, my student.”

Again, the logical part of Frida’s brain goes into overdrive, full of screaming alarms about how there’s no way these two people,  _ her master _ one of them, could be separated for twenty-five years and still sit and move together so fluidly after just a few hours reunited. But at the same time, Master Reynard seems  _ more _ like himself, though the very thought is nonsensical. Frida imagines him like a painting set off center for years and only just returned to its proper place. It  _ looks _ wrong, but at the same time, it also  _ belongs _ in a way it didn’t before. With her thoughts whirling, she just nods in response to the introduction.

“Do you remember when we met? How I told you I felt a connection?”

Frida nods again and sips at her tea, awkward as it is with her maiming. She knows it’s just for the ritual of it with her master and she’s so practiced the Mandalorian might not even realize the reason she speaks with a droid.

“I’m Sybil Sa’alle’s older brother. I speculate that the connection is because we’re of the blood, but not of the family. I expect that when I meet Xalonie there will be nothing.”

Frida frowns. “I didn’t think it was possible for Sa’alles to be male.”

Hound puts her hand on Master Reynard’s arm and answers instead. “He said that he wasn’t conceived naturally. There was some process and ritual. It would make him easier to sacrifice to empower his sister. It also gave her a method of killing him remotely. The last time I saw him, he was going to her so that she wouldn’t hurt the clan out of spite.”

“...This seems very convenient,” Frida says, after some thinking.

“Do you remember the Sith that took you from the Sa’alle estate?” Hound asks in return.

“I do.”

“He goes by Lord Aucht, but his name is Octavian. He’s Fox’s best friend. After we thought Fox was dead, he tried to get in power struggle with Sybil, but he underestimated her and she took a daughter from him.”

“Sailens; but how do  _ you _ know about this? I thought the Force was anathema to Mandalorians?” Frida watches the woman’s face carefully.

“Our relationship with the Force is complicated, but I stayed in touch with Octavian after Fox disappeared because there are times when a Sith gets it into his head that he is allowed to hurt Mandalorians or our interests. ‘Lord Aucht’ keeps us more or less on retainer so that other Sith leave us alone.”

Master Reynard gives his… wife… a fond look before speaking again. “At the meeting last night was Octavian’s sister-in-law. Hound wasn’t exactly direct in revealing the truth and Dani was the first to realize it. She holocalled her husband, who recognized me.”

“I see.” Frida frowns as she mulls over this information. It makes sense and given the common factor of Sa’alle, it’s not even too much of a stretch that it would all come together this way. “What will happen to Raf and me after we neutralize Her?” She gestures at the two of them. “Obviously you won’t be returning to Tython.”

“I’ll go to Clan Meshurok. Even if I never regain my memories, it will be home. You’d be welcome if you wanted to become Mandalorian, if not, there are options. We have contacts outside of the Order and outside of the Sith who can continue your Force training, as well as assist you with other issues, if you don’t want to return to Tython. As for Raphael… I imagine he’ll return to his family on Corellia.”

“You seem happier, Master. I hope this is real.”

\---

Frida stands behind her master and his  _ wife _ during the next meeting with the alliance. She watches how they move together, passing a datapad, reaching for a glass of water. There’s no hesitation in their movements and even if Frida can attribute her master’s grace to the Force, the only explanation for the Mandalorian is that she was telling the truth.

Master Shana Ultin stands and draws the meeting to order. “I apologize for yesterday’s excitement. Through bioscans and other methods, I have confirmed that our Master Reynard was indeed once known as Lord Faximil.” She ignores the murmuring around the table and holds out her hand. A flash of light illuminates the room and then dims. In the palm of Master Ultin’s hand is an orb of Kyrsha’s light.

Frida looks down at herself, but doesn’t see any of the shadows of Dark Side corruption. She looks around the room and  _ no one _ has the trademark shadows from the technique. 

“I can sense your confusion. I am merely reminding you of my gift before I continue. I discerned, to my satisfaction, that even should Master Reynard regain his true memories, he will assist us in our efforts.” The Jedi closes her hand and the Light winks out. “But he is not our main concern. Sa’alle must be dealt with. While most of you are here because of the Sa’alle Girls, they are not the reason the Grand Master has allowed me to form this alliance.” She gestures and the Soldier at the door opens it and lets in a second Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian is wearing green and grey armor and walks around the room until she’s standing next to Master Ultin. Then she removes her helmet to a gasp. “I used to be known as Xalonie Sa’alle. I was the… One of the favorites for the position of the next Lord Sa’alle. I don’t know if any of the others were told, but the Sa’alle’s true power has nothing to do with the Daughters or twins or whatever other theories That Woman has engendered over the years. Her power comes from the human supremacist cult she leads. It has no name. They communicate about it with code phrases referencing someone they call ‘Mother.’”

Frida stares at her half-sister, her thoughts racing as she tries to fit this information into what she already knows about their mother.

Lalat rubs the green scar on her neck and glances at Master Ster. “She managed to recruit someone on the Jedi Council. She believed that connection would keep the Jedi from ever sending a force strong enough to defeat her. This agent was also instructed to ensure that any force sent by the Jedi or Republic would attack the Dromund Kaas estate. That is not her seat of power.”

Master Ster leans forward and enters some information into the computer in the center of the table until the holoimage of a planet hovers in the air over the computer. “This is Belsavis. It is an ancient Rakata prison planet that the Republic appropriated for its own use. The,” he clears his throat, “Empire recently landed on world and staged a breakout of the Dread Masters. Sybil’s base there predates the breakout and its security is somewhat compromised by said breakout.”

Lalat nods to the Jedi and then speaks again. “While the cult’s primary belief is in blood superiority, there is a strong separation between those with the Force and those without it. Force Blinds are not permitted into the lower levels under any circumstances.”

Master Ultin stands and nods for Lalat to step back. “Thank you, Lalat. Our strategists have discussed the matter and believe the best way to approach this problem is in three groups. First, techs to disable communications between their Forcers and Force Blinds. Second, a martial group to dispatch the Force blinds. And third, a martial group to handle their Force users. We have two companies of Mandalorians.” She gestures to the Hound and Lalat. “My Soldiers here make up a company, we have a squad of Republic special forces and a few pilots from Klaver’s Kouriers. You’ve been sent your preliminary assignment, but details will change as we gather more information. We’ll retire here for lunch, after which we’ll separate into those groups.”

  
  
  



	7. Ubiquitous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frida realizes she's not okay with the status-quo.

Frida stares at her twin. Avarice is holding her sleeping baby and staring right back. They’re mostly identical - Avarice has extensive spider-webbed scars from Force lightning while Frida has a crescent moon of thick scar tissue going from temple to chin on the right side of her face. Her sister feels wrong; the severing of her Force changed something fundamental, but with how much Master Reynard changed only to remain so similar, Frida doesn’t feel the disconnect she expected. She only looks away when the heavy door shuts. 

The captain from Klaver’s eyes everyone in the room before taking a seat at the circular table. The black-haired woman examines each of Frida’s sisters carefully before her stare settles on Lalat.

Master Ultin folds her hands on top of the table. “Captain. I see you’ve chosen to reveal yourself.”

“Sybil is not going to kark around with us. She will go for the heart and if we do not respond in kind we will die,” the captain says, sounding nothing like she did when socializing around the base during the lunch break. She suddenly has a thick Imperial accent and clipped words.

Master Reynard nods in agreement. He’s not visibly surprised. “Hound said we could expect assistance from your husband and brother-in-law, as well.”

Master Ster looks far less accepting. His mouth is curved in a stiff frown and his posture is tense. “This is a lot more Sith than I expected.”

“Do spare me,  _ Lestére _ ,” the captain says. “Lord Aucht has been working against her longer than you even knew Sa’alle existed. He and Sailens will fight whether or not you think you can ‘allow’ them to.”

“We can’t afford to turn away their support,” Master Ultin says. She gestures to Avarice, who passes her baby to Lalat and leans forward to enter something into the computer station in the center of the table.

At once, the screens light up with photos and names. Master Ster translates her sign language for the rest of the Forcers in the room. “These are the strongest Force users Lalat and I know to be part of the cult. This is Galina Sokolova, That Woman’s first lieutenant. Her specialty is some kind of sorcery, but more we don’t know.”

One by one, Avarice and Lalat go through the Forcers. When he isn’t translating, Master Ster’s face is locked in a grimace. Force pulses through the air as Masters Ultin and Killian communicate in some kind of miralukan shorthand that Frida’s felt before, but never bothered to learn. Master Reynard and Captain Dani keep their faces blank, occasionally nodding when asked a question about a Jedi or Sith they know particularly well.

After two hours of discussion, Frida is shifting uncomfortably in her chair and Avarice’s baby has made her way through everyone’s arms at least twice and is currently squirming in Master Reynard’s lap as she tries to grab the tiny mote of Force light he has dancing around his fingers.

Master Ultin stands. “I believe that is enough for now. Captain, if you could arrange for your family to join us here as well as gather more information on those Sith, that would be helpful.”

“I may well knife one or two of them before we meet again,” the captain replies.

“I can only ask that you use your discretion on this matter,” Master Ultin says as she steps away from the table.

“Not so fast. What’re we doing about Fox?” Captain Dani asks, back in her affected Republic accent.

Frida watches her master freeze, the light winking out. He turns to stare at Dani before asking, “What do you mean?”

“What do I  _ mean _ ? I don’t know, Fox, maybe your kriffing friends miss you? Maybe your kids Hound had to raise without you? Maybe your soldiers want to know you’re alive? Maybe all of the people back  _ Home _ want to see you? I don’t give an akk’s ass if the Jedi saved you from Sybil, they didn’t have the right to steal your life. Hound might be content to have you like this, but that’s not gonna cut it for the rest of us.”

Master Killian stands so fast, her chair clatters to the floor behind her. “Would you rather we killed him? We had no choice. He was found dying in the middle of the war. He’s Sybil’s brother, we couldn’t trust him not to betray us and even if we could have, we couldn’t trust that Sybil wouldn’t turn him into a walking bomb. He’s safe from her power  _ for now _ , but if he gets his memories back-”

“I got mine back and she can’t touch  _ me _ ,” Lalat interrupts, her voice raised.

“Sailens was severed just like he was and  _ she’s _ safe, too,” Captain Dani snaps.

Master Ultin shakes her head. “We don’t know what technique was used. Everyone who was involved with handling him is dead now. We can’t-”

“That’s not your decision to make!” Frida shouts. Everyone quiets and stares at her, except for Master Reynard - Fox - because he’s busy keeping the baby quiet. Frida stands and slaps the table with an open palm. “Fifteen years I’ve been a prisoner on Tython. I can’t browse the holonet, I can’t even go through the  _ fucking _ library freely because you  _ Jedi Masters _ are terrified something will trigger in my brain and turn me into a slave for That Woman. I never would have gotten off world if he hadn’t snuck me out in the middle of the night. It’s not for my own good when it’s against my will and you have  _ no right _ to keep his mind from him!”

Master Reynard stands in the resulting silence. Carefully, he carries the little girl over until he passes her into her mother’s arms. Then he stands straight and looks at Captain Dani. “I can only imagine you have something specific in mind.”

“Octavian’s a mind healer and if that doesn’t work, Hound and I can take you Home.” The captain stresses the word  _ home _ , but her fierce expression makes it clear she won’t elaborate, if asked.

Master Reynard nods at her before turning towards Masters Ultin and Killian. “The most likely scenario is that my memories were removed by the same technique used on Revan after the Mandalorian wars. What we can’t afford is for me to fall insensate on seeing my sister. The sooner my mind is restored, the sooner I will be able to  _ effectively _ help this operation. The information I could have on Sybil is invaluable.”

Master Ster sighs and when he speaks, his tone is reluctant. “As much as I like Rey, forcing him to stay this way is throwing good credits after bad. Facing the fallout from wiping his memories was inevitable. Do you really want to defer that cost to someone else, Shana?”

“Do as you think best, Reynard. With Fervor, as well.”


	8. Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fox comes home.

Reynard watches the emotions cross Raphael’s face. The young man is at a loss for words. His hands open and close and he stares plaintively at Frida, as if she can change what Reynard just said.

“So you’re…” Raphael swallows. “You’re going to be leaving the Order after we defeat Sa’alle?”

“Officially then, but practically, you can assume it’s as of now. Frida and I will be going into Imperial space. I’ll be out of commission for a time as my memories are restored. Given the specific Forcers we’ll be facing in Sa’alle’s cult, I advise you to strongly consider whether or not you want to come.”

“Because my mental Force skills are poor,” Raphael says. He’s resigned and can’t maintain eye contact. 

“She has a very strong preference for sorcery. Master Ster is the only man she chose that specializes in martial combat and we know she chose him for his bloodline. I won’t call you liability, but your usefulness may be limited.”

“That’s not… Frida... “ Raphael glances at him before looking back at Frida. “I want to be with you, but I can’t leave my family. Not for so little.”

Frida shakes her head. “I wouldn’t ask you to.”

“But I’d rather go with you to Imperial Space, than go back to Corellia now.”

“As you like. There’s much you could learn.”

\---

Octavian’s estate is in the middle of Sarkai’s jungle, for there is only one. It covers the entire planet with cities clawing their way to the sky with underpowered shields that eat fully seventy percent of the planet’s gross electrical power. Reynard looks at the manor front, but if he’s been there before he doesn’t recognize it.

None of his memories have returned, yet, but he didn’t expect them to. He’s spent nearly every moment with Carina since she found him and has no memories to show for it, so he hardly expected visiting Sarkhai or seeing Octavian’s estate to bring anything back. He walks ahead of Frida and Raf only to see the double doors open before he reaches them.

A black-haired woman that looks mostly human, save for her lack of eyebrows, pushes through the opening doors and throws her arms around him. “Oh Fox, it’s so good to see you. I didn’t believe it when Sebastian told me you were alive.”

Carina laughs as she comes up behind his students. “Does he still get drunk and come around telling stories?”

The woman pulls away and fondly strokes Reynard’s cheek before answering Carina. “He does. More than before, since Aaron still humors him.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Carina says. She puts her hand on Reynard’s shoulder and gestures to his students. “This is Raphael Gallias and Fervor. Children, this is Na’li’a. She is one of the best business managers in the Empire.”

They exchanged pleasantries before Na’li’a gestured them ahead of her into the manor house. “Octavian is preparing the lab. Hound, if you can take Fox down, I’ll show the children to their rooms.”

Reynard watches Na’li’a walk down a marble hallway until Carina takes his arm. He turns  to her and says, “You’re very close to all of my friends.”

“They were all I had left of you. And you were close to them before you left.” She takes his arm and gently starts leading him down through the manor.

“That seems odd for a group of Sith.”

“You were very odd for a Sith. You met Octavian right after he was bought and brought to the Sith. If not for you, he may have become like any other Sith.” She smiles at him, but it’s sad, with a line between her eyebrows. “We all struggled without you, but we had to keep living.”

Reynard nods and walks with her at his side until they reach a foreboding durasteel door. He turns and kisses her softly. “I trust you. Whether or not I regain my memories, I’ll stay by your side.” He runs his fingers over the fox engraved on her cuirass. “As strange as it seems to me with the memories I have, I already feel naked without proper armor.”

“Soon,  _ riduur _ . Our armorsmith is already making you a new set. Oct will be able to do something for you to make things easier, but even if he can’t… Just knowing you’re alive is more than I could ever ask for. Having you here with me…” She trails off and blinks back tears. “ _ We _ have the rest of our lives, but Octavian is far from a patient man.”

Reynard laughs and kisses her forehead before grabbing onto the door handle. “That we do,  _ riduur _ .”

\---

Elegant opera music plays through the room. Reynard listens in, but doesn’t recognize the piece. He blinks his eyes open and stares at up at a vaulted ceiling. He sits up on the chaise and puts his feet on the black and pink marble floor. Though he turns his head, he can’t find the origin of the music.

“Do you like it, Fox?” Asks an unfamiliar voice. Before Reynard’s eyes, a red haired man appears. Unlike Fox’s auburn that’s greying at the temples, the stranger’s hair is the bright red of fresh blood. There’s an intricate slave brand on his forehead. “Your daughter introduced it to Na’li’a and she pressed it onto me.”

“ _ My _ daughter?”

“Your youngest. Cakara. Hound took her in ten years ago. Echani by blood, but Mandalorian in her heart, like you.” The stranger sits in a leatheris arm chair that wasn’t there the last time Reynard looked.

“And you’re Octavian? If she adopted Cakara ten years ago, I wouldn’t have memories of her to recall in the first place.” Fox looks around the room and tries to make a note of it, but he can’t seem to focus on any of the details. The portrait of a dower old woman shivers and instead it’s an open landscape.

“You would not, but it’s nice to know. Cakara has the personality to lead. I think you wife is grooming her to take her place.” Octavian, who he must be, though he didn’t confirm it, snaps his fingers. “Stop trying to see  _ through _ things. You’re making it more difficult.”

Fox startles and shifts on the delicate chair under him. “I thought we decided you wouldn’t Dream Walk me anymore.”

A solo aria starts in the opera and the music begins a tense crescendo.

Octavian smirks at him and picks a cup of tea out of the air. He takes a sip. “Of course, by we decided, you mean you trapped my literal heart in a Sa’alle artifact until I agreed to stop.”

“I let it out,” Fox replies, a smile on his own face.

“After a  _ year _ . And only because Na’li’a made you.”

The music is nearly deafening, but Fox feels no compulsion to raise his voice to match. “You have to admit, she’s always been much scarier than you.”

“You say, as if Hound isn’t scarier than you.”

“Oh, she is.” Fox stands and looks down at his hands. He watches the  _ beskar _ shift and move as he opens and closes his hands. He glances at Octavian. “Well, this was fun, but I do think it’s time to  _ wake up _ .”


	9. Chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Empathic persuasion doesn't _require_ Force use.

“What’s eating you?”

Raf nearly falls out of his chair in surprise. He twists his head around to look at Aaron. “What?”

Aaron nods his head to where Frida is dueling with Sailens in the middle of one of Lord Aucht’s gardens. “Sai’s not gonna do anything permanent.” The former Sith grimaces at the wrought iron garden chair across from Raf before pulling it out from under the matching table and sitting.

“I’m not worried about Frida… Fervor. Well, I  _ am _ , but not about Sailens.” Raf rubs the back of his neck and sighs. He rips his eyes away from his  _ lover _ , his  _ friend _ and meets Aaron’s eyes. “She’s damaged. Surely you know  _ some _ of what they went through.”

“I do. I’ve seen most of what Sailens went through. We were Force bonded until the attack. She  _ loathed _ Fervor until then, too. Father thinks one of the rituals may have purposefully created animosity between them.” Aaron shivers and rubs his arms. “Xalonie almost killed me a few times before That Woman got her with the serum.”

“Lalat, right? It’s hard to keep it all straight.” Raf glances back at Frida. 

The uninhibited way she moves warms his blood. Out from under the eyes of the Jedi, her movements are perfect and sharp. She snaps the blades on her lightsabers on and off in an intricate trakata style Raf’s only ever seen from Jedi Battlemasters before.

“Yeah, Lalat, now. Shame. Xalonie’s a beautiful name.” Aaron’s sigh sounds wistful. “Fervor’s gorgeous. Unfortunately, Sai says her sisters are off limits.”

“You guys don’t get… jealous?”

“Kriffing doesn’t mean anything. When we were acolytes on Korriban, it would’ve bothered me, but we’re…  _ partners _ . No one could ever suit her the way I do. No one could take  _ my _ place. If she’s going out for a kriff, she’s getting something I can’t give her. And if I  _ can’t _ , why bother being jealous?”

Raf opens his mouth, ready with a response, but he closes it and frowns as he thinks. “I can see that, I guess. I know some of the couples in the Greens aren’t strictly monogamous, but I always assumed it was to deal with the attachments.”

“Maybe. You Jedi are pretty karked up, if you ask me.”

“I’m starting to agree, but I love my family. My friends. I can’t just  _ leave _ , no matter how I feel about her.” Raf rubs his face and picks at the fancy sandwiches Na’li’a had made for him. 

Aaron snatches one up without asking and eats it messily. “I mean, leave the Jedi if you want. They’re awful. But don’t do it to be with Fervor. That’d be a mistake.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, but you sound so confident.” Raf sighs and pushes the plate closer to the other man.

“We ran, Sai and I. Abandoned everything we knew; all of the money, all of the power, gone. Even when I woke up without the Force and thinking she was dead, I didn’t regret it for a moment. What we got for leaving, what Fervor’s got now,” Aaron gestures with the sandwich. “You can’t understand it, Raf.”

“ _ What _ is it?”

“Freedom. You can go home, find some new sweetheart, fall in love in again, or not. You can do whatever you want. Yeah, there’re rules, but they’re just guardrails, aren’t they? Keep you out of trouble. Keep you from stumbling off the edge you can’t see under your feet.”

Emotions curl around Raf’s heart. Lord Aucht has finally got him to basic competence with his Empathy, but he wishes the Sith hadn’t bothered. Aaron’s emotions are bright, blazing things that sear his own, soft wishes. “She always seemed so at peace on Tython. What you’re saying is that the rules aren’t guardrails for her. Why does it have to be different? It’d be the same rules.”

“When Father took her from That Woman and gave her to the Jedi he wasn’t breaking her chains, he just replaced them with new ones. They took her name, her past-”

“She’s always known who she is and how she came to be-”

“Raf, after what she went through, how could she be at peace? Do you think the peace was real? That Woman made all of them good at one thing only: surviving. If Fervor showed how she felt, if she acted how she  _ really _ wanted to, if she did  _ that _ on Tython,” Aaron points to where the sisters are trading vicious blows. “If she did  _ that _ in front of the Jedi, she’d be locked in a cell until the fire in her heart  _ died _ .”

Raf shakes his head in denial, even if he knows in his heart it’s true. “They wouldn’t have imprisoned-”

“Wouldn’t their meditation and ‘conversion’ to the ‘Light’ be a prison for her?”

“It shouldn’t be that way,” Raf says, his voice hoarse. He rubs his face and finds it covered in tears.

“Just be thankful it isn’t for you.”

Raf chokes on a sob and tries to find calm. He appreciates that Aaron is pretending not to notice his emotions and something about the way the former Sith leers at the sisters brings Raf comfort. He sniffs and dries his face with one of the heavy linen napkins. When his breathing evens and he can think more clearly, he chuckles.

“Something you wanna share?” Aaron asks, though his smirk suggests he already knows.

“What you just did to me. That was a Sith thing. They get inside your head and break you down and change what you think. But you’re a Blind!”

“And it was for your own good.” Aaron points to him as he says it. “I might be Blind, but Zeltron Empathy isn’t completely Force-based.” He laughs, too. “But it’s mostly Na’li’a. She’s been training me ever since we moved here. She’s Force Blind _ and _ an alien and is still highly respected in the Empire. She’s good at what she does.”

“So, what? You’re just practicing on me?”

“A bit. Sai doesn’t want to fight That Woman. She doesn’t want to have sisters. She just wants to be Lord Sa’alle like she was promised. But she wants that woman to die painfully. She wants her sisters, if they do exist, to at least be happy. And the last thing she wants is That Woman’s legacy. She can’t reconcile it on her own, so I’m helping.”

Raf considers the words and sips the mysterious fruit juice that came with the sandwiches. “And… convincing me to let Fri- Fervor go will make her… happier?”

“Fervor, Sai, Avarice, me… We’re like thrantas, Raf. We can  _ survive _ tied to the ground, but surviving isn’t living. You,  _ you _ are grounded. And Fervor’ll tie herself to you if you ask.”

“I love her.”

“So what’ll you do?”

“Help her cut off the last of Sa’alle’s chains.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I've been very ill. Hopefully posting will return to its regular schedule.


	10. Reinforcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raf learns that few things are so black and white as he used to think.

Raf feels his master approaching and chuckles when Aaron jumps in surprise at the sound of the door slamming open. He abandons the dejarik game - he assumes he was losing, but he has no way to know - to see what the commotion is about. 

Fox enters first. There’s no way to confuse him with Master Reynard now that he has a full set of Mandalorian armor. He looks younger, too. At first, Raf attributed it to him being clean-shaven, but the truth is that Fox is full of light and energy as he throws an unconscious young man onto the empty couch across from Fervor and Sailens.

Hound follows a step behind him and throws an identical unconscious man next to the first. She claps her hands as if trying to get something off her gauntlets. “Where did you find these kiwis and why did you bring them home with you?”

“Kiwis?” Raf asks, but no one’s paying him any attention.

Sailens and Fervor both stand and lean over the unconscious twins. Sailens jabs one in the stomach with the hilt of her saber, but he doesn’t react. Fervor grabs the closer one by the right arm and pulls back his sleeve before dropping it and checking the other’s arm. She holds the arm out to Fox. It’s criss-crossed with sharp, black tattoos.

“I didn’t know there were two of him,” Fervor says. “And I thought he was dead.”

Sailens turns an incredulous look on Fervor. “You know Sokolov?”

“Vasili was on Tython with me for years,” she replies with a shrug.

“They were skulking around Dani’s base on Nar. I thought I recognized Vasili,” Fox nods at Fervor, “and decided it’s in our best interest to have Galina’s boys in our power.”

Raf shakes his head. “Master, you  _ kidnapped _ them?”

“Dani was going to kill them, wasn’t she?” Hound asks, staring at the unconscious Sith.

“The one that’s not Vasili kept flirting with her instead of answering her questions.” Fox shakes his head. “I can’t remember the last time I met someone so severely lacking a sense of self-preservation.”

“Terenti Sokolov is the stupidest Sith to ever survive training,” Sailens says.

“That’s a bold claim,” Fox says before laughing.

“Yeah, they let  _ you _ through,” Carina adds.

“Alright, then.” Fox rubs his chin and examines everyone in the room. “Yes, that’ll work.  _ Riduur _ , take that one down to the lab with Aaron. They didn’t have the strongest of constitutions, so you shouldn’t need Na’li’a to get him to talk. Fervor, with me. We’ll deal with Vasili.”

Raf feels cold and, for the first time, regrets leaving the Soldiers to see this through. “Master, you’re going to torture them?”

“I am going to do what’s necessary, Raphael. There are people that rely on me that have gone unprotected too long. And there are many more who will die at Sybil’s hands if she is not stopped. Don’t waste your empathy on selfish, licentious Sith children who would cut down any who breathed too loudly in their direction.” Fox’s expression is hard and imperious. 

Though his master doesn’t augment his words with the Force, Raf feels the compulsion behind them. He remembers watching holos of the war and wondering why people followed the commanders and leaders when ordered to do horrible things, but even though he’s horrified at the idea of Fox torturing the Sith, he’s unable to protest.

Numb and a little sick, Raf watches his master leave with the unconscious Sith. Fervor gives him a single, pitying look before she follows after.

When everyone else has left, Sailens comes up to Raf and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Come on.”

Raf is still too shaken to protest or even ask where they’re going, he just follows her.  They enter the East Wing and he can’t decide if he hopes or fears she’s taking him to bed. Eventually, she leads him into a study and gestures for him to sit behind the desk.

Sailens walks around behind the desk and activates the screens that line the back wall. When they come to life, the screens show surveillance footage of the estate. She fiddles with the screen in the center for a moment and it shows Fervor sitting adjacent the unconscious Sith, who’s laid out on a couch.

“Uncle isn’t going to torture Sokolov. He was trying to teach you a lesson,” Sailens says. She sits in the chair next to him and kicks her boots up on the desk.

“A lesson?” He asks, though he doesn’t look away from the screen.

“This is an armed conflict. Soon, it will be war. You’re not a creature of war.” She holds up a hand to forestall any response. “Watch, he’s back.”

On the screen, Fox is back in a set of Jedi robes. He walks up and waves a hand over Vasili Sokolov before gently shaking him by the shoulder. “Vasili, wake up.”

The Sith wakes and blinks at Fox. “Master Reynard?” As soon as the name is out of his mouth, he flinches and reaches for his right arm, clasping tight over the hidden tattoos.

“Don’t fear, Master Yidrath isn’t here. I know she cursed you.” Fox sits next to Frida and folds his hands in his lap. “Are you alright? You were found on Nar Shaddaa.”

“I… Yes.” He runs his left hand over his hair and grimaces. “Master, I don’t want to go back.”

“I won’t take you back to Tython, but I need to know what you were doing on Nar Shaddaa. You were found right outside of Darth Vallen’s offices. She could have killed you.” Fox’s voice is even and gentle.

Vasili glances at Fervor and then swallows. “I found my brother. My  _ twin _ . He wants revenge for Mother’s murder. I was just trying to keep him alive.”

Raf looks over at Sailens. “I thought his mother was Sa’alle’s lieutenant?”

Sailens’ expression is bored. “She is. Sokolova faked her death years ago to better serve That Woman.”

“So he’s just stupid.”

“If he’s anything like his brother.” Sailens scoffs. “But it’s  _ possible _ he’s lying.”

Fox leans over and puts a comforting hand on Vasili’s shoulder. “You think Darth Vallen killed your mother?”

Vasili shakes his head. “No, it was Lord Sa’alle. She’s part of this… human supremacy group. She killed Mother for tainting the Sokolov line with Echani blood.” He runs his hand over the curse tattoos again. “Darth Vallen is always at the same society functions as Lord Sa’alle and they’ve never fought. We were looking for evidence they were working together. I don’t remember what happened. Is Teren alright?”

Fox nods. “He’s asleep. We couldn’t trust a Sith to not start attacking.”

“Let me wake him up and we’ll, uh, go.” Vasili glances at the exits before looking back at Fox.

“I can’t let you do that. I’m part of an alliance to neutralize Lord Sa’alle. You and your brother could put her and her people on alert.”

Vasili stiffens and again glances around the room. “Teren’s not going to stop. He won’t let this go. And Sa’alle’s already sent assassins after us.  _ Us _ . No one should know I’m still alive.”

“I may be able to convince the others to let you assist. You need closure. Frida, do you have a datapad on you?” He continues at her nod. “Good, now, Vasili, tell Frida everything you know about Sa’alle and this cult. I’m going to go see to your brother.”

Sailens leans back and silences the screens with a wave of her hand. “See? No torture. Not even close.”

“Just manipulated him. Made him feel comfortable.” Raf rubs the back of his neck. “That’s not… bad. Not really.”

“It would have been a different story if Sokolov was working for Sa’alle and his mother, but Uncle must believe he’s telling the truth.”

“But surely Master isn’t going to actually going to let them get involved. What if they’re trying to sabotage us?”

“Father will take care of that. No one can lie to him.” Sailens’ tone is flippant.

“I don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

“I don’t think we can afford to turn down help.”

 


	11. Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The greatest lesson is learning how to truly talk to others.

Raf sits across from Fervor and they both pull at a single wire held suspended in the air by their mutual Force. An alarm will sound if the wire gets to one side or the other, but after weeks of training with Lord Aucht, Raf finally has Fervor matched.

While most of his concentration is locked on the wire, Raf can still feel their Master’s presence in the Force. He’s behind them, not sitting on a levitating boulder, but instead dancing through Echani sword forms. Raf feels someone walk up behind him. He recognizes her in a vague sort of way, but he’s met so many people in the alliance that he can’t put a name to the Force signature.

“You’re doing much better,  _ buir _ ,” the woman says. Her voice is distinctively brassy. She’s Cakara, the only one of Fox’s adopted children that still lives with Clan Meshurok.

“That’s a generous assessment,” Fox says between sets.

“I said  _ better _ , not  _ good _ ,” Cakara replies with a laugh.

“I know you’ve been watching refresher holos yourself.”

Fervor glances at the Mandalorians and says something to Raf in sign language. Though he doesn’t know the movements, he can guess what she wants, in between pointing to her ear and a gesture behind him. Raf responds with a shallow nod and gradually loosens his hold on the wire, feeling her do the same. They share a smirk and center their attention on eavesdropping.

“I’m ten years out of practice.”

“And I’m twenty-five  _ and _ human.”

“All I’m hearing are excuses, old man.”

There’s the sound of the vibrosword deactivating and then the soft grinding as Fox returns his blade to its sheath. “Do you want to tell me about Atin, or are you going to keep stalling?”

Cakara lets out a sharp breath like she’s been punched. “Wow, thanks,  _ buir _ ,” she mutters. “How much did she tell you?”

“Carina didn’t tell me anything. I could see the way he looked at you and how he suddenly  _ can’t _ .” There’s a clink of metal on metal as Fox undoubtedly offers his daughter some comfort.

“It’s not… I just…” Cakara sighs. “I thought, we all thought, that because of what happened on Eshan, I wouldn’t be interested in sex for a while. And I wasn’t, but it didn’t matter. Atin was happy to wait. I kept waiting to feel something. Even when I didn’t, I thought, well,  _ buir _ ’s never been interested, either, so…”

“But then I came back and you saw her differently.”

“That’s what I told  _ buir _ , but that’s not what happened.”

Raf gives Fervor a wide-eyed look and she responds with a curious quirk of her eyebrows.

“Why not tell her the truth? She’s not going to chide you for being attracted to a  _ dar’jetii _ .”

“Buir!”

“Echani blood isn’t enough to tell those two kiwis apart at a glance if you haven’t been spending a lot of time staring at them.”

“I don’t even know what a kiwi is.”

“Neither do I; that’s what Hound calls them. And you can change the subject, but  _ you _ started this conversation.”

Raf mouths  _ kiwi? _ at Fervor, but she just shrugs.

“What should I do, then? I thought I wanted to marry Atin. This is not that. This is…” Cakara clears her throat. “Strictly physical.”

“So tell him that and then peel him out of his silks.”

“Really?!”

“You’re an adult. I’m sure you know how sex works.”

“That’s not- You’re my  _ dad _ .”

“And six months ago, you’d never even met me.”

“Anyone who spent more than an hour with  _ buir _ would feel like they’d known you their entire life.”

Fox laughs. “Alright, fine, but my advice stands.”

“What will the others say?”

“Nothing. And if they open their mouths, just stab them.”

“You are  _ exactly _ like  _ buir _ always said.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Raf quickly switches his attention back to the wire when he hears them wrap up the conversation. He and Fervor are both intently focused on the wire when Fox walks up and tells them to stop.

“Nice try, but don’t look at me if either of you run your mouths and she stabs you.”

\---

Fervor looks up as Raf approaches. She nods at him and pats the seat next to her on the balcony. It overlooks the inner courtyard of the Soldiers of Light’s base. The courtyard is an elaborate training facility full of equipment and activity.

Raf sits next to her and looks down at the sparring Soldiers. He assumes they’re Soldiers, but given how big the alliance is now, he can’t be sure. He casually puts his hand on top of hers. “Are you nervous?”

“No. Training is going well.” She curls her fingers around his.

“It’s really weird, being trained by a Sith.” Raf enjoys the warmth of her next him and ignores the distant ache reminding him that their time is limited.

“Fox or Lord Aucht?” She glances at him and smirks.

“Lord Aucht. It’s also weird to be trained while I’m, you know,  _ sleeping _ . He’s a great sorcerer, but I just don’t get how I struggled so much on Corellia and Tython, but it just makes  _ sense _ when he explains it.” He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Sith see the Force differently than Jedi.”

“But he’s not teaching me the  _ Dark Side _ .”

“It’s just like learning maths. He’s teaching you the ways the numbers can be put together, not teaching you to write equations for murder.”

Raf’s face scrunches up. “I think that analogy got away from you.”

She huffs a laugh. “It sounded better in my head.”

“I think I get what you’re trying to say, though.” He squeezes her hand. “I… I’m going back to the enclave on Corellia when this is over.”

“That’s good. I think the Green Jedi suit you.” Fervor’s gaze is locked on a pair of fighters sparring back and forth in the courtyard below them. “I’ll stay with Lord Aucht for a while. After that, I don’t know.”

“Fervor… I love you.”

She turns her head to face him. Her expression is unreadable, not because it’s blank and still the way it was on Tython, but because it can’t seem to settle on a single emotion. Finally, she touches his cheek with her free hand. “I care about you. More than I have about anyone outside of Av. I enjoy spending time with you, but…”

“I know. I feel the same way. This has been… great, but when I think about the future, I can’t see us together. I want what my parents have. To live that kind of life with my friends and family and…”

“And even though I could tolerate it, you know I wouldn’t be happy.”

Raf nods and presses his face into her hand. “And I’d rather you be happy than with me.”

“Thank you,” she says simply.

“I’d like to stay like this, until then. Enjoy what we have.” He leans in and kisses her.

Fervor responds to him, pressing in close and moving her hand to hold him against her. Her fingers squeeze around his and she sighs into his mouth. Her speaking droid rolls along the floor around them. “I’d like that, too.”

\---

Footsteps crash through the hallway and Raf freezes, teacup halfway to his mouth. He’d been listening to Fox lecture about Force manipulation of dreams and mind healing, but his master also stopped at the sound of someone running through the halls.

Master Ster appears in the doorway, not short of breath despite the run. “Rey! Thank the Force. Lalat and Av are fit to start spitting fire.”

“What happened?”

Master Ster steps into the room and sit heavily on the last chair. He pulls out a holounit and places on the table next to the tea service. “Lalat wanted to watch the recordings of Rencarn’s conversations with Sa’alle. I’ll play it for you. You can make your own judgement.”

The recording plays, but Sa’alle and Rencarn are speaking Sith, so Raf has no idea what Fervor’s sisters found so upsetting.

Fox, on the other hand, is visibly unsettled. He waves his hand to turn off the playback and then he rubs his temples. “How far back did they listen to the recordings?”

“We were only able to recover two years from his computers and they’re all like this.”

“That explains why Lalat is still alive, then. Whomever is pretending to be Sybil didn’t know how to fully activate the serum.”

“So you agree with them?”

“Yes, that’s not Sybil’s voice. It’s not even close. Kriff, this is a mess. Call Shana; we need to discuss this.”


End file.
